Quilting news and other stuff

I haven't really posted anything since my brother died, so I guess I'm getting back to normal. 
So, this is my new baby. I actually purchased her last year, but have had trouble making time to use her. She is a PFAFF Quilt Expression 4.2. Recently, I was asked by my quilt teacher/friend of many years why in the world would I pick a PFAFF when I could own a BERNINA? My answer was simple: I love it! Bernina is a great machine, no doubt. But I learned to sew on a HOBBY 1132, so I'm a little sentimental about PFAFF. Also, there is the affordability factor. I mean, for 5 grand, I could make a partial down-payment on a car, or a house.

I love the ease of use as well. Even for a novice like myself, I find that I don't have to work real hard at figuring out what to do to get the effect I want. 192 stitches! It's simply amazing! 

I'm working on a baby quilt that was entirely applique. Let me say it bluntly: not a good plan for me. Not only was I out of my league, I was using a new machine that I didn't fully understand how to use. Here's where I am with it:  

You'll notice that big, bunch of bananas. I'm ripping that out. I tried to make it look like a real bunch of bananas, but found it only confused people. In case you wondered, it's not my design. I bought it off of someone's Etsy shop. Her monkeys were alot bigger, even though I followed the pattern exactly. Won't be doing this again. 

I keep playing with the courthouse steps idea. I did one block that you see below. It was foundation pieced, which was very, very acurate. You'll have to forgive the material I used. I was trying to use scraps up.  This is what I hope to be making it look like without the blue center:

I got this badly taken picture from a television show from the 90's and thought how great would that look in my living room!  Anyway, that's about all I am doing sewing-wise. 

I started working out with a trainer recently. He's a very nice young man who is down to earth. I only started because I was tired of being sick and tired. My body strength was nil and my legs hurt constantly. Not a good thing for a nurse who is up on her feet for 12 hours at a time. He is putting me through my paces. And, of course, I'm hoping to lose weight, so I'm conferring with him on diet issues. 
Work is very busy, which is highly unusual this time of year. Our census is never maxed out in June, but it is this year for some reason. 27 patients is a lot of patients to keep content.

The Legal Adult moved out after having been with us for some time. He broke his leg last year, and now has a new apartment....again. I haven't written very much about him, but he has effectly made an old woman out of me this year by turning 31. 

Hollywood turns 21 in a week or so. He has an apartment across town, but has never invited me over except to pick him up to go somewhere. Hmmmmm......

The Dyl Pickle is 12 now and is sporting purple hair! Yeash......
But he is so very tall now, and he has grown men feet-size 12! Turns 13 and starts 8th grade in the fall. 

Hunnybunny is working for new company as the mid west sales rep. He just got back from Canada. Always happy to get back to southern cooking. We just celebrated number 14 Anniversary by heading to Hilton Head. It was very, very nice!

As for me, two more semesters of school and then I can sit for the NCLEX-RN. I am nearly as old as the teacher, but I like it. What I don't enjoy is going to school 4 days a week and then working every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, better get a shower so I can head to church. Later, y'all.......

Beatles Quilt progress

So, here we are .....just five years later. Looks like the top is done. I keep thinking I will add another border or something, but honestly...I just want to get it quilted. The Legal Adult is absolutely thrilled. I guess he had just about given up on me. I bought black for the back of it, and I think I'm going to use colored thread in the bobbin to show up on the back. I just haven't figured it out yet. I have this cool dragonfly quilting stencil that I want to use on the back. Yeah, yeah....I know. Why don't I have musical notes or something like that. I don't know why, either. But anyway....

I wish I could find the motivation to want to more to this quilt, but I just don't have the energy for it. Truthfully, I am sick of working on this. I have a whole list of others I want to work on. Most people work on many simultaneously, but I have never been that organized. My goal for this year is to make at least 2 quilts. I've also been toying with the idea of getting a new machine. My dream has always been to have a Bernina.

But I'm having a hard time figuring out which machine to look into. Anybody have any ideas?

Back to the Sewing Machine, well, at least ONE of them...

Hi. Did you miss me? I've been missing myself lately. We just got back from our yearly jount to FLA. This year we opted to stay at Grandma Hunnybunny's and just go to the beach. We were going to go more than one day, but alas, the dreaded yellow flag was up on the second day. Things have changed with Grandma Hunnybunny; her cast of characters has changed from Aunt Hunnybunny (Hunnybunny's sister) to Mother Hunnybunny, (Hunnybunny's mother). Aunt Hunnybunny has a new little Hunnybunny of her own named Tyler. He is so sweet, and he snuggled me!            

We picked up Hollywood for a few weeks this summer. He made the trip to Florida without being too bored.




And he turned sweet 16! His party of sorts was a couple of friends, along with She who must be Obeyed  and Jerricho! I had fun with her as She is now almost 11! What did we do for kicks? We sorted fabric! That kid was always organizing so I gave her the opportunity to help me cut down my fabric hoard of scraps.  She thought it was great! My kind of kid! 

This week, I've been fairly selfish. While I have been working on The Legal Adult's quilt, I took out a little time to cut myself out a dress. Here's the pattern:

I don't even own a dress besides my wedding dress and if I ever had a special occasion, I'd be in trouble. My friend Robin told me long ago and far away to find a simple pattern and start with that, so that's what I did. I also got my little orphan machine fixed.

 

It was in storage as I used it to make those stitches you see, but then it didn't work at all. I took it back to the Nameless Fix-It shop here in town, and he wanted me to throw more money at it.  I took it to a place where I usually just get fabric, but they had fixed my Pfaff Hobby so wonderfully that I decided to see if they could make this little machine stitch again. It's called the Quilter's Square and they totally rock!

Look what I got in the mail!!!

Debra Spincic made this great quilt for me! ( I hope she doesn't mind that I stole her picture: see the one on the left  I tried to take and you'll see why!) It was to commemorate getting into LPN school, but wow....was I taken completely by surprise! She talked about it in this post. The funny part is that I actually read it, and never picked up on the fact that it was for ME! She is a wonderful friend, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank her from the bottom of my heart!  Debra gets me, and that is not a great feat! Thank you, Debra! I smile every time I touch this quilt or see it.....I smile because of you!

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds....top done

I had a few ....mishaps....as you can see. That's what I get for trying to get done in a hurry. Nothing to keep your ego in check like a major mess up.
I did alot of reading on working with diamonds, and the information all pointed to one secret ingredient: starch! I must have used a whole can of heavy starch on this top.




I was going to use fusible, black bias tape in between the diamonds, to give it a stained glass look. I think I'm going to skip that unless you all tell me otherwise. The borders will be pieced with the scraps from the diamonds. I certainly have enough of those.

And now a message from our sponsors.....

I am sure you are tired of reading the saga of Hollywood, how betrayed I feel... boo-hoo....I know I'm tired of it. So, I decided to switch gears and focus on positives going on. One such positive is an invention called a DVR. When it first came out, I didn't just hop on the band wagon. One, because of the expense, and two: I just don't go with the trends initially. The cost at the time was $100, shipping cost, and a renewed contract with Dish Network. I'm so cheap, I just couldn't see paying it. But Hunnybunny never gave up his dream. And finally, the price was right: free with a two year contract. We had our old receiver for 5 years upon moving here. So, the contract thing wasn't an issue.

In fact, two years ago, the receiver was struck by lighting, so it was as slow as Christmas. It's nice to push a button and actually GO to the station.
Now, I can download all the sappy, estrogen-laden, girly movies I want to and then play them back while working in my.....sewing room! I took all that pain and ick about Hollywood leaving and totally took his room over with all my quilting stuff. It's grand, I can spread out, watch TV, and sew right next to a window! He may come back, and I can put it all back on my side of the bedroom, but for now, I get to see how the other half lives...having a sewing room. I am currently working on this pattern and yes, I know it's a little much, but I wanted a project that made me learn some new stuff. Know what I mean?

Progress on Jericho's Project

You remember I had my own student the last two summers? And despite me, Jericho put this top together? She was very happy...I, however, was over the moon! Someone created something and I taught them how. She made every stitch, cut and ironed every piece of fabric.
About a month ago, she had a day off from school and finally put on the borders to this quilt. Very ambitious for a 14 year-old, who had never sewn in her whole life. I know her mom is very proud, but me? I'm just bustin'......

WIP Wednesday: Shirt off my back

Pickle took this picture, not bad if I do say so myself. Maybe he's going to be the next blogger in the family. Heaven forbid!

So, here's Simplicity 2898

Now, this is what it was supposed to look like:












I will not beat myself up for such obvious mistakes, but I am grateful to have only spent $4 on the fabric. My buddy Robin says make another while the iron is hot. So, stay tuned.